ONE MONTH.

Holy crap. I can't believe the Ironman is only a month away.

I am going through the full range of emotions. I am everything from exhilarated to exhausted.

Tommy and I signed up for this race over a year ago, right after we did our first half Ironman distance at Longhorn. Longhorn was a race that we not even close to being prepared for...we hadn't trained and we didn't really know anyone else who was doing tri's, so we didn't have anyone to talk to about it. But we went out there with blind excitement and had the time of our lives (not the best race of our lives, but an incredible time). Afterwards, I was hooked...and the only race left to sign up for Cozumel (darn!). So Cozumel it was.

So for one year, I have been training for this race. After Longhorn, we focused on the marathon in January and then after the marathon we took two weeks off (not off off, but like, not as MUCH exercising...do athletes ever actually take time off off?) and the training began at the beginning of February. Then the REAL training began in June. But for 9 months, we have been pushing ourselves to the limit. Waking up at 4am most days of the week and working out before work. Sleeping in is snoozing till 7AM. I have my arm band from Longhorn on my dashboard as a reminder to keep with it. It WILL all be worth it.

We are at a level of fitness that I would have never actually thought possible. I ran 20 miles before work last week and was fine. I mean, my knees hurt a little, but my legs were fine. I wasn't any more tired than normal and I wasn't sore. Not even a little sore. That's not normal.

I haven't actually lost any weight (not a single pound) or gone down a pants size (nope, still a 10, mother effers) and all my clothes fit exactly the same...but I promise you that beneath this layer of fat, I can totally kick your ass. Ha. Just trust me. But my biggest fear on the weight thing is that if I can only MAINTAIN my weight with this level of activity, I'm going to blow up like a blimp when I stop working out (as much)...and then of course, if I have more energy, I'm more likely to go out to dinner sometimes, which means more calories...it's a downward spiral and it does not bode well for me.

I am so ready for this race to be here. Most of our friends are done (or almost done) with their racing seasons...and we still have a month left. There are days when I feel ready and I feel excited and I feel like I know what the last year has been about. But ultimately, I know I am ready for it to be here...even if I am not physically ready to race. I need this. This is what it's about...the ultimate race in a gorgeous locale surrounded by all the people we love and mounds and mounds of Meixcan cheese. I couldn't ask for a better support team. (although, I'm pretty sure they are coming for the crystal clear water and not so much to see me, but that's okay!)

Mostly I'm tired of the pile of laundry that I can't keep up with, the dust collecting on all my furniture, the half completed chores, the lack of social time, the lack of sleep, the lack of Mexican food...mostly, I'm ready to have my life back. I just buy more sports bras when I run out. Not surprisingly, I run out of sports bras before I run out of underwear (most of my workout shorts have panties in them). I hate missing birthdays and Sunday Fundays...or Tuesday Fundays.

2 more hard weeks left, and then it's the easy stuff...only 10 mile runs and 60 mile bikes on the weekends...and then it's home free!!

I

Fires - http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/6692152.html